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  “I’m on it,” Mike said.

  Mike helped Jill, Heather, Tanesha, Sandy, Colin’s wife, Julie, and Valerie set up a circle where they could work with each other.

  “Ok, work with your partner now,” Colin said. “Slow and easy. Take the hand, bend the wrist and turn to the outside. Slow and easy. Feel the lock.”

  Colin moved to the edge of the room to watch the class.

  “I’ve looked for you at lunch but I never see you,” Nash said. He turned Teddy’s wrist until he felt it lock. “You go to Smiley, right? Seventh grade, right?”

  “Yeah.” Teddy took Nash’s wrist and locked it in place. “I’m in the library. I’m behind in school. You should see the stack of work I have for this weekend. No holiday for me.”

  “Oh,” Nash returned the wrist lock. “How come?”

  “I didn’t go to school for a while,” Teddy said. “My Mom’s messed up. She’s in some program now. She’s supposed to be getting better.”

  “My Mom’s in jail,” Nash said. “She’s supposed to go to prison.”

  “Oh,” Teddy smiled. “I didn’t know you were a citizen of the country of fucked up.”

  “Hey!” A big guy yelled from the doorway to the room. Nash gulped as the muscle bound man pointed to them. “Language.”

  “My guardian,” Teddy said. “My Mom hates Miss Alex. Just hates her. But Miss Alex is the person for us at three in the morning. Me and my sister and brother. You know, when things went to shit. Miss Alex walked through the chaos, the police, and whatever else to bring us here. Mom signed my guardianship to Andy.”

  “He’s a little scary,” Nash whispered. “He has a prison tattoo on his eye.”

  “Yeah,” Teddy said. “He’s been really great to me.”

  “Where’s your Dad?” Nash asked.

  “Good job everyone!” Colin said. “Let’s go back to simple escape. Kneel across from your partner. We’ll do this for ten minutes today.”

  “My Dad’s taken care of us since we were little.” Nash grabbed Teddy’s wrists. Teddy shifted his hand to break Nash’s grip. “He’s a good Dad, you know, for a Dad.

  “My Dad flies spy airplanes over the Middle East.” Teddy grabbed Nash’s wrists and Nash broke his grip. “He’s trying to get here, but… If he doesn’t fly, men don’t get any time off. We promised him we’d be all right for a few months until he finishes up.”

  They worked back and forth for a while.

  “I saw that guy harass you. At school,” Teddy said. “What’s his problem?”

  “He makes fun of my Dad’s girlfriend. Calls her a slut and a whore and stuff. Everybody joins in. Even my ex-best friend Tommy.” Nash scowled. Shaking his head, he shrugged. “Sandy’s really great. Beautiful. Well, you can see. She’s in the middle next to Valerie, the movie star.”

  “She has a pretty smile.”

  “Yeah, kind of lights up the room,” Nash said. “I hope my Dad marries her so she can be my mom. That kid says awful stuff to get me mad then pushes me around.”

  “Bully,” Teddy said. “I hate that. They always pick on kids like us.”

  “From the country of the fucked up?”

  Nash felt a hand grab the back of his shirt. The big guy lifted him from sitting to hold Nash’s in front of his big scary face.

  “See this?” The big guy rotated Nash to look at the women at the back of the room. “Ladies present. Watch your mouth. You want to be a thug? Talk like a thug. You want to make something of your life? Speak like a gentleman. And gentlemen don’t swear when ladies are present.”

  The big guy set Nash down on the mat.

  “Carry on.”

  The big guy returned to the edge of the mat.

  “You Ok, Nash?” Colin asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Nash said.

  Leaning into Nash, Colin whispered, “He means well.”

  Nash nodded.

  “All right,” Colin said. “We’re done. Remember to thank your partner with a bow.”

  Nash and Teddy bowed to each other.

  “Have a great Thanksgiving! I’ll see you Friday afternoon.”

  After collecting Noelle and checking in with Sandy, Nash ran to catch up with Teddy.

  “Teddy!”

  Teddy was walking down the hallway with his massive guardian. The boy turned around in the hall.

  “I can help you catch up. With school,” Nash said. “We have this whole weekend. Sandy’s working every day but tomorrow. That means we’ll be at the Castle. Why don’t you see if you can come over? I can help.”

  Smiling, Teddy nodded.

  “Great! They have our number,” Nash said. “Give me a call on Friday.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  Wednesday evening — 5:00 P.M.

  The day before Thanksgiving

  “You don’t want the baby,” Honey’s therapist said.

  “No. No. I want the baby,” Honey said. “I don’t know how it will work. I mean, I can barely take care of myself. Steve bathes me, helps me go to the bathroom… How am I going to care for a baby? When I can’t …”

  “Even care for yourself?”

  “Yeah,” Honey said. “I don’t mind living at the Castle. I mean everyone’s really great. Nice. MJ loves it there. He feels like I’m safe because everyone will help. But… I need to care for myself, my baby, my life. And… I can’t.”

  “You have a job. You pay your own bills. You…”

  “I pay some of my bills,” Honey said. “Jake and the insurance company pick up the tab for most of it. MJ’s salary goes to his brother and sister, or most of it anyway.”

  Honey fell silent.

  “You were talking about the baby,” her therapist said.

  “I feel stupid. I almost died. I easily could have died. And now there’s this new life… inside of me… and…”

  “I think it’s very normal to feel overwhelmed. Most mothers feel that way.”

  “Mother,” Honey snorted. “Even the word is foreign.”

  “You can abort the baby, Honey. The doctor said you might be better off to wait. It’s only been a short time since… your injury.”

  “Since my life was tipped upside down? I was going to go to college in September. I was going to work and go to college. Live in my little apartment.”

  “Instead, you married a man you’ve loved since you were a young child. Remember, you thought you’d never see MJ again. You live with your brother in an almost fantasy house filled with love and support. You have lots of friends and work you like. And now you’re going to have a baby.”

  “And this.” Honey’s crippled hands gestured to her paralyzed legs.

  “What’s got your goat, Honey?” Her therapist pointed to Honey’s legs. “You’ve told me over and over again that your injury was the best thing that happened to you.”

  “My sister’s trial is coming up,” Honey said.

  “You have to testify soon.”

  “I have to testify to everything.”

  “Everything?”

  “Mostly what our childhood was like. My lovely sister’s defense is that she didn’t know any better because she was abused.”

  “Was she?”

  “She did most of the abusing. Now she says this was a one time event.”

  “Which it’s not.”

  “No. No. She’s always been like that. They’re hoping the jury will believe me over her. But no one’s ever believed me over her.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “Pressure? Yeah. Makes me wish I was never born.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  Wednesday night – 7:30 P.M.

  The day before Thanksgiving

  Laughing at Katy and Paddie’s re-creation of their martial arts lesson, Jill went toward the Castle side door to answer the bell. Aden yelled something and she turned to look at him. Everyone was happy, light and excited about the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a Castle tradition to host a small dessert party. In Castle style, that meant small desserts and not a
small sized party.

  Expecting another friend, Jill opened the door.

  “Who might you be?” The thin little man asked.

  Glancing to see if the gate was closed, she shook her head at the man.

  “Jillian Roper Marlowe? Or Heather Lipson? Or Honey Lipson-Scully? I know you’re not Valerie Lipson.”

  “Jillian Roper,” Jill said. “What do you want?”

  “I have a couple things for you.” The man gave her a stack of papers then pulled out another set of papers. “Is Heather or Blane Lipson here?”

  Jill turned away from the door to look at her papers. Hearing her name, Heather came to the door.

  “Did you need something?” Heather asked.

  “I have this for you,” the little man tried to hand her papers.

  “What is it?”

  “You’re being sued,” the little man said.

  “What?” Heather tried to shut the door on the man.

  He stuck his foot in the door. “I’m just the server. Just doing my job.”

  Mike came up behind Heather.

  “What is it?”

  “Some guy who says I’m being sued.”

  Mike yanked the door open.

  “Jacob Lipson?”

  “He’s here,” Mike said. “Why don’t you give me everything you have?”

  “I don’t get paid if they don’t get them.”

  The man tossed a stack of papers toward Heather. Out of instinct, Heather caught them. She was about to toss them back when Blane took them from her.

  “What’s going on?” Jacob asked Jill. She was standing in the doorway to the living room staring at the papers.

  “Lawsuits,” Mike said. “There’s one for you.”

  Jacob held his hand out. The man set a stack of papers in his hand. Jacob put his arm around Jill and led her from the doorway. Delphie, Sam and Aden came to the door to see what was going on.

  Mike tried to close the door but the server put his foot in the door again.

  “What?”

  “There’s a couple more,” the thin man said. “One for Valerie Lipson.”

  “I’ll take it,” Mike said. “I’m her husband. I handle this stuff. Anyone else?”

  “Aden Norsen.”

  Aden reached past Mike to take his set of papers.

  “Honey Lipson-Scully.”

  MJ stalked to the door. MJ’s towering stature and dark look made the server gulp.

  “You’re not Honey,” the server sputtered.

  “Prove it,” MJ said. “Give me the papers.”

  “Subpoena. It’s just a sub…subpoena.”

  With a parting growl, MJ snatched Honey’s subpoena and marched away.

  “Anything else?” Mike asked.

  “Yeah, there’s one here for Chastity Grace Bell,” the man said.

  “There’s no one by that name here,” Mike said. “You’re out of luck.”

  Mike tried to close the door only to hit the server’s foot again.

  “Move your foot,” Mike said.

  “There’s another name here.”

  “What?” Mike asked.

  “Chastity Grace Bell.”

  “I told you there’s no one here by that name.”

  “It says a.k.a. Oracle Taber.”

  “Nope, you’re shit out of luck.” Mike tried to close the door again.

  “There’s another name!” The server shouted.

  Mike’s very being radiated his irritation. He motioned with his hand for the man to say the other name.

  “Del-Fi.”

  Delphie put a hand on Mike’s arm. She smiled at the thin man and took the papers from him. She winked at Mike’s stunned face. The process server bowed and Delphie shut the door in his face.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

  The Oracle Taber

  The day before Thanksgiving

  How could it happen? How could the horrible past reach up and snatch her from the perfect present? She couldn’t make sense of it.

  Lying on her bed, Delphie mentally tracked the series of events.

  She’d worried about her chocolate chip cheesecake. Valerie loved Delphie’s cheesecake. Valerie could, and would, eat an entire chocolate chip cheesecake herself. But Valerie was ‘slimming down’ and muscling up for her movie role. Standing in the kitchen, Delphie was worrying about Valerie when she heard Heather’s indignant:

  “Some guy who says I’m being sued.”

  She remembered walking out to the door. Sam slipped his arm around her shoulder as they watched the kids. She glanced from person to person. With practiced ease, she read their mental states.

  Jill was being sued by Trevor’s parents. They wanted custody of Katy. Jill wasn’t sure what was more annoying – the custody bullshit or the subpoena for Honey’s sisters trial. The dark cloud of Trevor hung in Jill’s mind.

  Heather was being sued by the cretin who had impregnated her. Delphie felt a flash of rage from Heather. Blane thought it was funny.

  Jacob blocked her from reading his mind. Whatever he received was bad. So bad he didn’t want to disrupt the party. He caught her eyes and shook his head. Nope, she wasn’t getting in.

  Valerie was being sued for defamation of character by Heather’s sperm donor. Delphie hated that phrase but Valerie used it. Valerie knew Mike would take care of the suit. She trusted Mike implicitly and simply put it out of her mind.

  Aden’s ex-wife was claiming she was mentally ill and wanted her parental rights restored. Unwilling to bother with Nuala, Aden stuck the papers in his back pocket. A kiss from Sandy set everything right in Aden’s world.

  Honey was subpoenaed to her sister’s trial. Even though they expected the subpoena, MJ felt helpless to protect her. He masked his helplessness with fury. Delphie chuckled. The little process server had been terrified by MJ.

  Delphie had been so focused on reading other people’s thoughts and emotions that she hadn’t heard the little man say her birth name. Chastity. Not that she recognized the name.

  The next three words were like arrows through her soul.

  The.

  Oracle.

  Tabor.

  The name she’d lived with for ten years – The Oracle Taber. She took the papers, winked at Mike, and closed the door. Easy. After all, she had a chocolate chip cheesecake to worry about. When she turned from the process server, she saw everyone’s shocked faces. She’d laughed.

  What? Did they think she was born Delphinium? No last name? Only the name of a flower?

  No, Celia had given her that name. Sam nodded in affirmation. He was there when it happened. If they didn’t mind, she had a cheesecake to attend to.

  She was standing in the kitchen when the past crept up and snatched her.

  Blow #1: Levi Johansen was dead. The demon had been dead for eight months.

  Blow #2: The Chastity Bell was a valuable asset in the Johansen estate. She had two weeks to return the Chastity Bell to the estate.

  Blow #3: Oracle Tabor is the primary heir.

  Then it happened. Bang.

  One minute she was standing in the Castle kitchen, her kitchen in her home, the home Celia bought for her, willed to her and Jacob fixed up for her.

  Her home.

  The next moment, she was ten years old, lost and alone.

  Someone took the papers.

  Jacob.

  “You’re not ten and you’re not alone.” Jacob’s voice was kind but firm.

  Valerie’s face floated in front of Delphie’s eyes. Her strong arms went around Delphie’s neck.

  “We’ll deal with this as a family,” Valerie said.

  Delphie felt herself fly through the air. She was resting in Big Sam’s arms. Like a child, she pressed her head into his chest. He carried her toward his bedroom but she wanted her own room. He kissed her forehead then carried her up the stairs. He laid her on her bed.

  Mike came in with a cup of her favorite tea. He kissed her cheek and set the tea on the table.

  “G
o to your guests,” Delphie had insisted.

  “I’ll stay, Dad,” Jacob whispered to Sam.

  “No, I’ll stay,” Jill said. “This is your party. Go and enjoy it. I’m fine here.”

  Delphie drifted off to sleep with Jill sitting in a rocker at the foot of the bed. Delphie wondered if Jill was still there.

  How long have I been asleep?

  “An hour or so,” Jill said.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize I said that out loud.” Delphie moved to sit up.

  “Slowly.” With Katy sound asleep in her arms, Jill came to sit on the side of the bed. “You’ve had a terrible shock.”

  “I was just trying to sort that out.” Delphie shook her head. “I’m not sure what happened.”

  “Past and the present converged at the same moment,” Jill said. “That’s what Jacob said. He said it happens to psychics.”

  “It’s never happened to me before,” Delphie said.

  Jill took Delphie’s hand.

  “Would you like to return to the party?” Jill asked.

  Delphie shook her head.

  “Is Katy all right?” Delphie asked.

  Jill looked at her little girl.

  “She had a dream after you settled here. Jacob was able to help her through it but… She gets so exhausted after those dreams. Jacob brought her to me. I’ve been rocking her in your lovely room. So peaceful here.”

  Katy made a sound.

  “Shhh, Katy-baby, it’s all right,” Jill said.

  “You can lay her on the bed,” Delphie said.

  “She likes to be right next to my heart. She’s been like that since we spent the time with Trevor’s parents. That’s what her dream was about.”

  Delphie nodded.

  “Boy, everyone says they want to be a psychic. I think it’s a lot of… work.”

  “It’s not all fun and lotto numbers,” Delphie said.

  “What was it like for you when you were little?” Jill said.

  “I don’t remember a lot.” Delphie sipped her cold tea.

  “Can I get you some…?”

  “No, I’m all right,” Delphie said. “What happened to my cheesecake?”

  “Valerie ate the whole thing,” Jill laughed.

  “She did not,” Delphie said.